Dear Secretary Clinton,
In anticipation of your upcoming visit to Azerbaijan, we would like to bring to your attention the case of the imprisoned Azerbaijani bloggers Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli (Abdullayev) who are still held behind bars under falsified "hooliganism" charges, paying a high price for their civic activism and pro-democracy views.
As you know, the July 8, 2009 attack on Hajizada and Milli and their subsequent arrest and imprisonment have been universally condemned by the international community. The US State Department and the US Embassy in Baku expressed strong concerns about this issue. In spite of the numerous calls for their release, the Azerbaijani authorities conducted what has been deemed by the observers a sham trial, violating Azerbaijan's own laws and the country's international obligations, and sentenced Adnan Hajizada for two and Emin Milli for two and half years.
We urge you to publicly raise this issue during your trip to Azerbaijan and call for the release of Hajizada and Milli in your discussions with the Azerbaijani president. Your opinion, representing the principled position of the world's most powerful democracy, would be a strong voice in defense of free speech and fairness and play a crucial role in this case.
Thank you very much!
Sincerely yours,
Dear Secretary Clinton,
In anticipation of your upcoming visit to Azerbaijan, we would like to bring to your attention the case of the imprisoned Azerbaijani bloggers Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli (Abdullayev) who are still held behind bars under falsified "hooliganism" charges, paying a high price for their civic activism and pro-democracy views.
As you know, the July 8, 2009 attack on Hajizada and Milli and their subsequent arrest and imprisonment have been universally condemned by the international community. The US State Department and the US Embassy in Baku expressed strong concerns about this issue. In spite of the numerous calls for their release, the Azerbaijani authorities conducted what has been deemed by the observers a sham trial, violating Azerbaijan's own laws and the country's international obligations, and sentenced Adnan Hajizada for two and Emin Milli for two and half years.
We urge you to publicly raise this issue during your trip to Azerbaijan and call for the release of Hajizada and Milli in your discussions with the Azerbaijani president. Your opinion, representing the principled position of the world's most powerful democracy, would be a strong voice in defense of free speech and fairness and play a crucial role in this case.
Thank you very much!
Sincerely yours,
